Work Text:
Belle hears the howling of the wind against the library windows and she works to return the last of the books to the shelves. She wants to pretend that the weather does not bother her, but she can feel her pulse rising and so she speeds up. Then, the lights begin to flicker and she quickly, but carefully, places the book she is holding on a flat surface. Moving purposefully toward where she dropped her purse, she hopes to make it out before the wind knocks the power out.
She is halfway to the circulation desk when the lights give way. The sudden darkness is overwhelming and she stumbles forward, looking for her bag with her mobile phone tucked inside. Before she finds it, but after she stubs her toe on a shelf, she hears a different kind of howling.
It can’t be. Her ears perk up against her best judgment. No, Ruby is gone.
But, as soon as she dispels her initial reaction, she hears the voice that has graced her dreams ever since Ruby left town.
“Hey, stranger.”
Belle runs toward the sound, miraculously managing to avoid colliding with any of the obstacles scattered through the dark building. She smells the musky clove scent of Ruby seconds before falling into her arms.
“I missed you.”